Event Aims to “Break the Silence on Youth Violence"
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia teams up with our local and federal law enforcement partners and community-based organizations to host the Ninth Annual “Breaking the Silence on Youth Violence Youth Summit," on Friday, June 28, 2019, at The Catholic University of America in the Hartke Theater.
The free Summit will focus on gun violence and drug prevention and feature dynamic speakers, entertainment, prizes, invaluable information and resources.
For the past eight years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has collaborated with its partners to host the Youth Summit. Past Summits have included sessions that highlight the causes and consequences of youth violence, challenge youth participants to make better decisions, and emphasize the importance of cooperating with law enforcement. The breakout sessions focus on public safety issues facing our youth, such as teen domestic violence, heroin and opiate abuse, and human trafficking. The Summits have concluded with an educational entertainment segment to reinforce the positive messages of the Youth Summit.
The Summits have also included a youth informational fair in which numerous non-profits provide information on youth development programs, mentoring programs, and educational youth activities. More than 500 youths participated in the event last year, and thousands have participated in the activities since the first event in 2011.
The ninth annual “Breaking the Silence on Youth Violence Summit" will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at the Catholic University of America in the Hartke Theater at 3801 Harewood Road, NE Washington, D.C. 200017. All youth between the ages of 8-18 are welcome.
The Summit is a part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhood Program, a nationwide effort to reduce violent crime.
This year’s partners include Mayor Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program, East of the River Family Collaborative, Hillcrest Children Family Center, the Metropolitan Police Department, Collaborative Solutions for Communities, the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, D.C. Department of Behavioral Health, Kids Eat Free, D.C. Prevention Centers, Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, and a Foundation for a Drug-Free World.
For more information, contact Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney for External Affairs, Wendy Pohlhaus (202)252-6930 or wendy.pohlhaus@usdoj.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
